Meter



W. E. HTZ SIMONS.

METER.

APPLICATION msn APR. 4, 191s.

1,354,816. Patend 00u 5, 1920.

33513 v/ anonimi d fuman.

'menaants of Letters Patent.

PatentedOct. 5 192,0.

4Application"tiled April 4, 1916. yS,erie1-No.88,761.

Tofall whom 'it may concern.' l

Be it known that I,W1LLIAM E. Frr'z SIM- oNs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Freeport, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented; certain new and useful Improvements in Me ters, of which thefollowing isla'speciication. i

My invention relates to new-anduseful improvements inmeters, and-more particularly to Water meters,in `which a dialfglass or transparent plate covers a" dial,or other indicating means, through which dialglass the indications-on the dial'or other indicating means are visible. It is Ywell-known that in devices of this-kind, andparticularly water Imeters, the under face of thedial lass becomes clouded or soiled becanse'of ormation of water of condensation thereon, orfrom cther'deposits-so a's-toobscure a clear view of thel dial or indicating means, thereby lmakin-g it diflicult, and sometimes imossible, fto maf-liefen accurate reading.

y invention contemplates thel revision of a cleaning mechanism,ipreferab y in the form of av wiper, operable Vfrom lajrnving part or parts of the meter, and' preferably continuously operated, in orderthat theV dial glass will be effectively cleaned and maintained clear, so that at an time the'tlial or indicating mechanism Wi l -beclearly and completely visible'to the reader.

The invention consists in lthe improvements to be more fully described hereinafter, and the novelty of which `Willbe-particularly pointed out andl distinctly-claimed.

I have full and clearly illustrateda preferred embo iment ofthe inventionfinthe accompanying drawings, to `be taken as 'a part of this specificationnandwherein- Figure 1 is a plan or face'view' oa meter dial showing the indicating' mechanism,bhe dial glass, and a cleaningn'echanism tfor cleaning, and maintaining clean,the under side of the dial glass.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertica'lfsetion through so much of a'wellllnowni'form of meter as is suicientto-illustrate my invention shown in connection therewith.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire to make it understood that the invention is applicable to meters generally, and particularly water meters, Without regard to the specific mechanism or type of meter, and is not to be limited to the particular type of meter and registering mechanism illustrated and described hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings by characters o f reference, 1 indicates a meter casing containing a chamber 2 for registering mecha-V nism 3 adapted to be driven from a shaft 4 connected to the measuring mechanism (not shown). -This registering mechanism is `mounted en a plate, suitably supported in the chamber 2, and may consist, as shown, of the indicating Wheels 6 driven in 4:an suitable manner by gearing 7 with whici meshes a Worm'wheel 8 on a vertical shaft 9. This shaft bears `a gear l() driven by suitable gearing (not shown) from the shaft 4, a portionof the gearing being shown at p1 1. It is not necessary `for the'purpose's of this inventionvto describe orrillustrateffthis indicating mechanism 'or driving means-n detail as it is of 'a `Well know'nty'pe andV so that thelhand 15' continuously traverses thediall. The dial'plate I4 is provided with' a suitable sight opening 17,'througli which the number-bearingportions oft/he indicating wheels 6 Avare'visible.

The upperportion of y the casing lis closed byla cover lass ordial 4glass 18 suitably sealed or he d n'poshiti'on 1in 4a plane parallel; to the dial plate -and spaced' therefrom. yArran ed above thedi'al, between the same an the dial glass'il, is a wiper'memvber 19 adapted to contact with thenitlerface bf the dial,A glass, and carryingl a wiping l substance 20, such as eltfor other suitable material, which will maintain"the glass clean without scratching or injuring the same. This wiper member 19 is arranged to move back and forth across that portion of the dial glass which covers the indicating means 6, which is read to ascertain the state of the meter. In this instance, said Wiper member 19 is movable across the sight opening 17 in the dial plate, through which openhand 15 which ooperateswith the test dial ormed in and extendin -the bar 21, carrying t 1e Wiper member. Whil'e I have'shownwthisbar 21 as prefer- .ably

ing the numerals on the indicating wheels of the registering, mechanism r-are visible. rlhis Wiper member may take a number of forms within the spirit of my invention,

rotatable part, preferably driven continuously from the metermechanism Whenever the latter loperates, whereby the said bar is swung back and forth so that the Wiper member reci rocates or oscillates across the dialglass. "or this purposeI preferably drive the bar and `Wiper memberfroin'the 16, a suitable connection between said hand and bar being made by providing the rear end of the said hand with a crank pin or rejection 23, slidably engaging a slotl 24 longitudinally of being driven 'or'moved from the test hand,l I `desire 4it'nnderstoocl that I do not so limit Vmyself,asvsaid member may be driven bylother driving means, or through suitable connectionsfrom any part ofthe imeter suitable yfor theipurpose. The means described, however,-provides an efficient 'and sim le means for driving the wiper member, Wit out the necessity of complicating thc @meter by the addition of special driving me'ans. Y A,

It i's;thought that the operation of th@ :device will be `clearly understood from the above description, from which it will be seen that the wiper member is movable back and forth across the dial over the sight openin 16, which movement is accomplishe by virtue of its pivotal connection 22, and the drive afforded by the rotary member consisting of the rotatable test hand 15. By the arrangement shown the wi er member is-continuously and repeatediy` moved back and forth across the'dial glass in Contact therewith, so that any acziimulationthereon in the form of mist, water of condensation, dew, or dirt, is removed b the Wiper 'while freshly deposited on the ass and before it has had time to accumuate or harden thereon so-as torender its removal difficult or uncertain.

What'I claim and desirey to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a meter, the combination of meter mechanism, a casing inclosing saidmechawiper as said mechanism operates, all ofV said parts being inclosed and protected by the casing.

3. In `a meter, the combination of meter mechanism, a dial having a sight opening, a-casing inclosing said parts and provided with a glass extendingr across the sight opening in the dial, a wiper member pivoted on the dial and movable across the sight opening therein in contaetiwith said glass, a dial'hand driven by the meter mech- .amsnnand connections between said hand and thetwiper for moving the ylatter, all of said parts being inclosed Within said casing.

4. In a meter, the combination of meter mechanism,a casing inclosing said mechanism, and provided with a yglass through which the indicator thereof is visible, a wiper contacting with the inner surface of said glass, and means forswinging said wiper back and forth, said means consisting of a rotating part driven by the meter mechanism and a connection between said part and the Wiper.

A meter unit comprising a casing provided ivith a transparent member through which the meter indicator is visible, a

,meter mechanism, a Wiper mounted Within said casing and engaging the inner surface of said transparent member, said Wiper being actuated `by the meter mechanism and movable'back and forth across `said transparent member to remove therefrom any obstruction to the light rays.

`In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. FITZ SIMONS.

Witnesses:

M. E. MCNINGH, C. G. HEYL'MUN.

Correct It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,354,816, granted October 5, 1920, upon the epplication of William E. Fitz Simons, of Freeport, New York, for

an improvement in Meters an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 97, claim 5, strike out the word unit; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the sare may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Olice.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of November, A. D., 1920.

L. B. MANN,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.Y

[SEAL] 

